20200520006919A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Cirrus Design SR20 · Santa Maria, CA · May 20, 2020

Date: May 20, 2020 · 10:42 local
Place: Santa Maria, CA
Airport: Santa Maria Municipal
Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N883PJ
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR20LA152
Reported as: Cirrus Design SR20
Reported engine: Continental IO-360
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 1
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Student
Pilot’s flight hours: 49 total

N883PJRegistration cancelled Mar 5, 2022 · Cirrus Design SR20S/N 1217 Airframe modelCirrus Design SR20

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

On may 20, 2020, at 1042 PDT, N883PJ, s/n 1217 a Cirrus SR20 aircraft crashed and sustained substantial damage 2 miles southeast of the Santa Maria Municipal Airport (smx) into a school yard located at privacy data omitted, Santa Maria, CA. Resulting in fatal injuries to the single occupant ( pilot ). The aircraft departed from van nuys CA. Airport (vny), and traveled to smx where it had performed a touch and go, and remained in left traffic for runway 30 and at 10:42:42 PDT disappeared from radar.

A witness observed the aircraft turning; the bank angle appeared to be 90 degrees then saw the aircraft straighten out, wobble, then descend out of view. Other witnesses stated they observed the aircraft heading towards the ground with an unopened parachute streaming behind it. The aircraft crashed on the ralph dunlap elementary school playground. The post impact fire destroyed all but approximately 8 feet of the aircraft?s tail section.

As the FAA filed it

ON MAY 20, 2020, AT 1042 PDT, N883PJ, S/N 1217 A CIRRUS SR20 AIRCRAFT CRASHED AND SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE 2 MILES SOUTHEAST OF THE SANTA MARIA MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (SMX) INTO A SCHOOL YARD LOCATED AT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, SANTA MARIA, CA. RESULTING IN FATAL INJURIES TO THE SINGLE OCCUPANT ( PILOT ). THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED FROM VAN NUYS CA. AIRPORT (VNY), AND TRAVELED TO SMX WHERE IT HAD PERFORMED A TOUCH AND GO, AND REMAINED IN LEFT TRAFFIC FOR RUNWAY 30 AND AT 10:42:42 PDT DISAPPEARED FROM RADAR.

A WITNESS OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT TURNING; THE BANK ANGLE APPEARED TO BE 90 DEGREES THEN SAW THE AIRCRAFT STRAIGHTEN OUT, WOBBLE, THEN DESCEND OUT OF VIEW. OTHER WITNESSES STATED THEY OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT HEADING TOWARDS THE GROUND WITH AN UNOPENED PARACHUTE STREAMING BEHIND IT. THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED ON THE RALPH DUNLAP ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PLAYGROUND. THE POST IMPACT FIRE DESTROYED ALL BUT APPROXIMATELY 8 FEET OF THE AIRCRAFT?S TAIL SECTION.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB WPR20LA152Accident · 1 fatalClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportSanta Maria, CAThe pilot’s exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack during a steep and descending turn to final approach, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and loss of control.May 20, 2020 · Destroyed

Other reports on N883PJ · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 20150811023579ILanding: Touchdown · Long Beach, CA[privacy data omitted] Was the PIC of aircraft N883PJ when it had a prop strike on runway 25R at Long Beach Airport (lgb) on August 11, 2015. The facts show that [privacy data omitted] was the cause of the prop strike and he admitted it to the investigators…Aug 11, 2015 · Minor damage